Love Conquers All
by ProLazy
Summary: Prompt: Dean and Castiel spend the night together, but Castiel thinks it is best that he leaves. For nearly 8 months Dean carries their baby, but he doesn't even realise until he goes into labor. Season 11 Canon Divergence.
**A/N: Hello my dearests! This one needs a little explaination. This story fits into season 11 and you will probably recognise some of the scenes and dialouge, however I have changed them to suit the story, and have cut some of the scenes up/short so that you aren't just reading things that you already know.**

 **Also, thank you to my bae (she knows) for writing the smut scene at the beginning.**

 **Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy! x**

* * *

 **That Night**

"Dean?"

The hunter had been staring up at the ceiling for hours as he was unable to sleep. Amara's words were plaguing his mind and he was still annoyed about Metatron, yet it was Castiel who stood at his bedroom door now.

"What do you want?"

"I...I suppose I wanted to apologise since _arguing_ my case for letting Metatron go clearly isn't working."

Dean sighed as he sat up and rubbed his eyes.

"It's fine, Cas."

The angel frowned slightly. "Is something else troubling you?"

"No" Dean said with some sarcasm.

"Dean I...I don't want there to be a rift between us."

"Then you should have killed Metatron" Dean spat.

"How many times do I have to tell you?" Castiel retorted heatedly. "Do you understand how hard it was for me to face him again after what he did to me? How hard it was for me to leave the safety of the bunker? I was consumed by fear but I did it anyway. I did it for you. It's _always_ been for you-"

The angel was cut off from his rant when he felt the hunter's lips press against his.

"Dean..." He breathed with confusion when the older Winchester pulled away.

"Cas, I don't know if it's just because my mind is twisted right now and I do know how to feel, but what I do know is I thought I'd lost you again to Rowena's spell, and that scared the hell out of me. It scares me that I keep almost losing you but I never have the guts to tell you what I should. And if that happens again because of Amara or Metatron or...god knows who else then I won't be able to handle it anymore."

"Dean..." Castiel said again with the same perplexity. "I...I want to be with you too but-"

"No more talking" Dean insisted. "Let's just...not think about it right now."

By this point both of them were ready rid their clothes, but it was Dean who started to rip hastily at the buttons of the Castiel's shirt.

"Why are you so eager?" Cas inquired as he laid down first, "is it customary for us to do this after we have argued?"

"Yeah, sure." Dean hastily replied, kneeling up and shuffling along the angel's body until he reached the narrowing of Castiel's hips, bracketing him with firm hands and lowering his head to take him into his mouth.

The angel's eyelids fluttered and he let his head fall back into the pillow after straining to see from his fixed position.

He didn't seem to know what to do with his hands, and so they remained just kind of... limp, shadowing his chest.

"How does that feel?" Dean smirked, pausing for breath as he glanced up at the other man, seemingly incapacitated.

Cas could only nod, and he couldn't see what else Dean was doing but he bristled at the alien noise of a cap being opened before attempting to look down.

The hunter was already moving on, not really taking much time to deliberate. He only paused once when he considered something, and got Castiel's attention again.

"You've... never done this before, have you?" He assumed.

"Huh?" The Angel responded, leaning up to speak, "I have." He protested.

"No, I mean... You've never let anyone put anything in here, have you?"

"Oh... Ah, no..."

He was too impatient, frankly.

It showed in the way he exhaled through his nose rather sharply and bowed his head somewhat tiresomely.

"Got it." He noted aloud, "it's a good job I already did this then."

Of course he was referring to arousing Cas, as he now obviously was, and as complaisantly as ever, the angel reclined again.

He was startled by the suddenness of the contact, however. He trusted Dean, and didn't feel the need to watch his every move, but he didn't expect him to start sinking onto him so quickly.

It felt better than he remembered even his first time, and now he couldn't tear his eyes away as he instinctively placed his hands to guide Dean's hips down and watched him with an open mouth.

"Is that normal?" He asked, sounding a little more perturbed than he'd meant to.

"What?" Dean twitched, playing that derisive smile he often did when being asked something obvious, "'Course it's normal... now, you start moving'." He instructed his voice just a little less steady.

"That feels good, Dean..." The angel moaned almost unconsciously as he did what he was told, canting up until his hips met equally warm skin.

There was a period of wordless noise; heavy breathing and creaking and a few throw away curses, but it came to a stuttering halt at the voice of Castiel, who winced and gripped hard enough to ground Dean against him fervently.

The hunter laughed breathlessly at the sight of the man beneath him coming first, and he followed soon after, trying not to be louder than his partner for the pure thrill of seeing how he came undone.

Dean also caught his breath quicker than the other man, and removed himself before turning into his side to lie beside Cas and pant almost rhythmically.

"We should... do it again." The angel eagerly (and breathlessly) proposed.

Dean laughed tersely but shook his head, getting up and grabbing a towel from the end of the bed before traipsing into the hall.

"I don't think you have it in you." He jibed from out of sight.

/

Dean woke up the next morning to find Castiel still lying next to him. The Angel had his arm wrapped around the hunter's waist and was looking up at the ceiling with a thoughtful frown.

"Hey" he groaned.

"Good Morning" Castiel replied. "Did you sleep well?"

"Well, you were there" Dean pointed out as he rolled from Castiel's grip and sat up.

"Oh, yes, of course."

"What's up?" Dean asked. "You're not regretting last night are you?"

"No absolutely not" Castiel said as he sat up too. "It's just...it's like Sam said. We have bigger issues right now."

Dean sighed; he couldn't deny that he'd had the same doubts.

"I know. Maybe...maybe we should put a hold on this for now, until we can take care of The Darkness."

"I think that's agreeable."

"There's something else, isn't there?"

"Perhaps I should leave the bunker for a while" Castiel said a little unsurely. "That way we'll be less distracted by each other's presence."

"Oh" Dean said, unable to his disappointment. "If that's what you want."

"I wouldn't say I _want_ it-"

"No, if you want to leave after everything I said last night about losing you again, then, fine! We don't need you!"

"Dean, you're not being reasonable-"

"Just go, Cas!"

Dean grabbed some clothes before storming away.

Castiel sighed deeply. He hated the thought of leaving again, but he could move quicker and he knew he just wouldn't be able to control himself around Dean.

This was no longer just about stopping Amara. It was about saving the man he loved.

When he returned from the bathroom, Dean was disheartened to find his angel had gone.

* * *

 **6 Weeks**

Dean was feeling drained.

The pursuit for Amara over the past few weeks had been futile, but he and Sam had still been researching and hunting in-between. Without Castiel's aid things had gone pretty stale.

Dean wished that he could swallow his pride and call the angel for help, but the fallout of their night together still overwhelmed him.

After having Castiel around the bunker for a significant period time previously, Dean couldn't deny he missed having the angel around now, even just for company. They had unfinished business, though, and he wasn't ready to face it just yet.

On top of Castiel and Amara's disappearance Sam's desire to return to the cage to confront Lucifer was also weighing on Dean.

He suspected the stress off it all was what had been causing the nausea he'd been experiencing over the past few days.

It was on the third morning that Sam woke up to the sound of his brother vomiting violently in the bathroom that his concern peaked.

"Dean, maybe you should go see a doctor?"

"No, I'm fine" Dean grumbled as he hauled himself to his feet and traipsed to the sink to get some water.

"Sure looks like it" Sam claimed sarcastically. "You've barely been able to keep anything down over the past week."

"Sam, I'm tired and I'm stressed" Dean complained as he rubbed his hand down is face.

"Okay" Sam responded softly. "Why don't you go back to bed? I can take care of myself for the day."

"Sam-"

"Go."

Dean merely sighed as he accepted that he no longer had the energy left argue.

He trudged back to his bedroom as Sam watched with deep concern.

* * *

 **12 Weeks**

Dean had continued to suffer from periods of sickness and nausea for almost two months, but as soon as they passed his lack of appetite switched completely and he seemed to be eating anything and everything.

Once the bones of their latest hunt were burned Sam and Dean decided to stop off at a diner to get something to eat before heading back to the bunker.

"Let me guess" Sam droned as he looked up at the specials board. "Bacon burger with cheese."

"Ugh, no" Dean said, his nose wrinkling with disgust. "What?" He asked irritably when Sam stared at him as if he had sprouted another head.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"I just don't want a burger, Sam" Dean snapped. "Jeez."

He picked up the menu in front of him instead and studied it with a deep frown.

After a few moments he called over a waitress.

"Yes, hon?"

"Do you have any marshmallows?" Dean enquired.

"Sure! We put them in the hot cocoa."

"Could I have some melted on top of the macaroni, please?"

The waitress looked surprised and shot Sam a sideways glance, but the younger Winchester looked just as confused.

"If that's what you'd like" she said unsurely as she wrote it down. "And for you, hon?" She asked as she turned to Sam.

"Just the salad please."

She wrote it down before leaving.

"Macaroni and Marshmallows?" Sam hissed to his brother. "That's your _exotic_ _recipe_ from when I was a kid. What gives?"

"I don't know" Dean mumbled as he rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "I just got thinking about it and now I'm kinda hankering for it."

Sam raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure you're okay? You not wanting to clog your arteries with meat is concerning enough-"

"Alright" Dean said heatedly. "I'm sorry I'm not as perfect as you are" he added sarcastically.

"Don't worry about it. My height of majesty is hard for anyone to reach."

"You're hard to reach because of your height, period."

The brothers became so engrossed in their bickering that they almost didn't notice the waitress when she returned with their meals.

"Here ya go. Enjoy" she said with uncertainty as she placed Dean's meal in front of him.

"Great!" Dean said rubbing his hands together gleefully. "Thanks."

Sam was put off from starting his own meal as he watched his brother consume his own strange concoction; more disturbingly he seemed to be enjoying it.

"I don't know what you were complaining about when you were a kid" Dean said with his mouthful. "This is amazing. I was a culinary genius."

"You stopped me from starving to death. That's the extent to which I'll acknowledge it."

"Sounds like gratitude to me."

"It's not."

"Whatever."

Sam couldn't take his eyes off Dean as he wolfed down the macaroni and marshmallows.

When he finished Dean sunk back in his seat and hummed contentedly as he rubbed a hand across his middle.

"Dude, I swear your stomach is a black hole" Sam said as he flicked his fork through the rest of his salad. "That was disgusting. And I mean more so than watching you eat usually."

"There's no need to be a bitch" Dean said, but it was without his usual conviction; he was genuinely pouting.

"Okay, sorry" Sam huffed. "It's just that the last time I saw you eat something that gross it nearly turned you into a zombie."

"Well, I feel fine" Dean assured him.

Sam sighed. "If you say so."

* * *

 **16 Weeks**

Dean wasn't far from the blast site where he was hoping to find Amara in tiny pieces.

A wave of nausea suddenly swept over him and he swayed a little as he tried to remain in control of the Impala.

Moments later and Dean didn't think he could go any further. He was forced to pull over and jumped out of Baby before he spewed on her seats.

Coughing and gagging after emptying his stomach Dean stumbled back and slipped down the side of the car before hit the ground with a soft thud. He had thought these sudden bouts of sickness has passed, but why did it have to come back now of all times at full force?

He sighed as he realised with great regret that he was probably going to need help.

He fumbled about in his pocket before he found his phone and pressed his second speed dial. He put the device on speaker and placed it on the ground so he could focus on rubbing his hands over his complaining stomach.

"Dean?"

There was a few moments were the hunter just held his breath after the first time hearing his angel's voice in months.

"Cas, I know we left things a little sour but I need you right now. I'm-"

"Where are you?"

"You're not even going to make me beg?"

"Dean" Castiel said sternly. The hunter heard a car door shut and an engine roar into life. "That doesn't matter right now. Where are you?"

Dean was pleased Castiel couldn't see the small upwards quirk of his lips at that moment.

Why did he keep letting the angel go?

/

Dean turned around when heard the car pull up. Castiel climbed out.

"I came as soon as you called" the angel said as he approached. "Are you alright?"

The hunter responded with a pained grunt and another spew of bile.

"You're not alright."

Dean rested his head back against the Impala and groaned.

"What's wrong with me?" he asked as he continued to massage his middle. "My stomach is turning so bad it feels like there's something moving in there."

Castiel frowned deeply as he hovered his hands over Dean's stomach and they glowed slightly as he scanned the area. He stopped suddenly and his brow furrowed deeper.

"What? What is it?" Dean asked concernedly.

"It's..." Castiel trailed off as he lowered his hands again. "Let me take your temperature" he said sticking up his finger.

Dean's eyes widened. "That's not going to happen."

"Are we close to the event?"

"The angel nuke? Sure."

"Then that would explain it. You have smiting sickness. The blast from the _angel nuk_ _e_ realised a lot of energy which can be poisonous. Although..." He held his hand above Dean's stomach again.

"What?!" Dean demanded.

Castiel shook his head. "It's nothing. The energy is messing with my powers too, but you have to get out of here."

They proceeded to make a plan.

/

As soon as they found themselves in the cage Castiel had made sure to stick my Dean's side.

The angel was the first to pounce when Lucifer's taunts became too much.

"I can beat The Darkness" Lucifer hissed into Castiel's ear. "Me, only me." He leaned in closer still and Castiel's breath caught. "I'm the only one who can save the man you love and your little bundle of joy."

Castiel's eyes widened as the realisation finally dawned on him.

He knew he had felt something strange when he had looked Dean over earlier, and it wasn't smiting sickness. He had felt energy, but it was like it had been radiating from within Dean. Like something had been pushing back. Now it all made sense.

Dean was pregnant. He was carrying their child.

And Castiel had brought him right to the devil himself.

"You know I'm right, Castiel. You know it."

Lucifer grinned maliciously as he punched Castiel to the ground.

The devil then swooped over and grabbed Dean by the throat, hoisting him up against the metal of the cage.

"Alright, Sam. I'm going to make this real easy for you. You say the magic word...or your family dies, and we both know you won't let that happen."

Castiel watched in horror as the man carrying his baby was choked of life. A protective flare suddenly overtook Castiel and he dragged himself from the ground with a warrior like cry as he tackled Lucifer to the side.

"Oh, alpha papa strikes at last" Lucifer teased.

Castiel landed a hard right hook to the devil's jaw, but Lucifer soon gained control and he held Castiel down in the corner of the cage, fist pulled back for another hit.

In the brief moment that Castiel had to catch his breath he looked over at the wounded brothers and his eyes locked with Dean's fearful green ones.

Castiel wished he had time to tell Dean how he truly felt, to even just tell him about the child, but he trusted they would be smart enough to figure it out. He wished that he could be there to see his child grow, to help Dean in any way he could. He wished he could finally be part of the family he longed for.

But he was expendable, and he needed to act now if he was going to save the Winchesters, and the world for his child to grow up in.

"Last words?" Lucifer jibed.

"Will you spare the Winchesters and my child?"

"I'll keep the kid, sure. But those moron apes...they're a risk you'll have to take" Lucifer said with a twisted smirk.

Castiel closed his eyes momentarily.

"Can you really beat her?"

"I can."

"Then, yes." _For Dean and our child._

Lucifer smiled down his younger brother with simple satisfaction as they were consumed by light.

* * *

 **20 Weeks**

The day after they returned from Jody's Sam found his brother in the kitchen hunkered over a box of the leftovers from their epic meal.

"Dude, it's nine in the morning. Just have some toast. Jeez."

"I can't spread mashed potatoes on toast" Dean argued.

"Well with some of the crap you've been eating recently I'm surprised you haven't tried" Sam said as he sat down and grabbed the coffee pot. "Seriously, I feel like I'll be stuffed for days."

"Well I'm hungry" Dean claimed through a mouthful of food.

Sam frowned at him with concern.

"How are you doing?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" Dean countered.

"Well it's just...with us being in hell and all I know you and Cas didn't really get chance to talk, and now he's kinda gone AWOL."

Dean finally stopped eating and looked up at his brother with a frown of his own.

"Yeah, we didn't have the opportunity discuss... _us_ , and I mean, sure, I'd like for me and Cas to still become a thing but...right now I feel like we've come to a silent and mutual agreement that this isn't the time. Let's just get Amara dealt with first."

"Okay" Sam nodded. "You do miss him though?"

"Yes" Dean replied honestly. "But it's probably better we're apart right now so we can focus on bigger things."

"Fair enough" Sam finally conceded. "At least that explains the comfort eating."

"Hey!" Dean said, pointing his fork at Sam and flicking potato at him. "I am not some pining teenage girl."

"No" Sam smirked. "You're a pining grown ass man, and that's so much better."

He ended up with potato splattered on the end of his nose.

/

Later in the day Sam and Dean had gone to their rooms to get ready before they headed out on another hunt.

Sam had been hanging around in the main hall waiting for Dean for almost half an hour.

He sighed with exasperation as he decided to finally march up to his brother's room and see what was taking so long.

The younger Winchester was alarmed by what he found.

Dean was sat on the end of his bed in nothing but his underwear, surrounded by his clothes which had been scattered everywhere, and weeping with his head in his hands.

"Dude! What happened?" Sam asked as he weaved his way through the mess.

"You were right. I am fat!" Dean whimpered.

"What? I didn't say that!" Sam frowned as he sat next to his brother.

"Yes you did!" Dean snapped heatedly. "That's what you really meant when you said I was eating too much!"

"No, I-" Sam trailed off and shook his head. Was this really happening right now?

"It's true though!" Dean went back to crying despairingly. "Just one look in the mirror and I can see it. All my clothes are tight on me now!"

Sam looked his brother up and down.

"Well I guess... _maybe_...a _few_ pounds-"

"How could you say that!?" Dean yelled, throwing a stray shirt as his brother as he reverted back to anger again.

"Hey! You just said-"

"I'm stressed, Sam! It's just a sign of stress!"

"Okay, okay" Sam said raising his hands defensively. "It'll be fine. You just ned to eat some more rabbit food. I'll help you."

"Really?" Dean sniffed, subdued once again.

"Yes" Sam promised as he rubbed a soothing hand up and down his brother's back. "We need to go on this hunt, so for now I need you to endure tight fitting clothes for the greater good, okay?"

"Okay."

Dean made Sam stay and help him pick something he didn't look 'so big' in. The whole experience was very surreal for the younger Winchester. He had never known Dean to care so much about his appearance before. Castiel's absence was clearly taking its toll on his brother's psyche.

"Great. We are ready to go" Sam said eagerly after they finally got Dean dressed in an outfit he was satisfied with.

"Wait. I have to pee."

"Again!?" Sam exclaimed as followed his brother down the hall. "Haven't you been like three times already this morning?"

"Why are you counting? Pervert."

"I don't mean to" the younger Winchester huffed. "Maybe you _should_ see a doctor. The over-eating, the nausea, the moods swings, and now the inability to hold water like a busted fire hydrant-"

"All symptoms of stress" Dean affirmed again.

"Yeah, I suppose" Sam said. He gave an amused scoff. "If I didn't know any better I'd say you were pre-"

He was cut off when Dean slammed the bathroom door in his face.

* * *

 **24 Weeks**

There wasn't a second that went by that Castiel didn't question his decision.

He shouldn't be here locked up in the corner of his own mind - literally; Lucifer had fashioned some chains and had had Castiel tied up the instant he took control of the vessel.

Castiel should be at Dean's side; his beloved human who was carrying their child.

He had been so sure before that he was doing what was best - there was no point in being there for Dean and the baby if Amara was around to make sure there was no world for them to live in, but as he watched Lucifer interact with the Winchester's through the eyes off his own vessel, Castiel wanted to cry and scream, to warn them that they were speaking to the devil himself.

And now Lucifer was going to send Dean back in time to some damn ship which was never to be seen again. He knew that Dean wouldn't dare take the risk if he had known.

Castiel lifted his head weakly when he heard the door unlock. There were really no doors of course, no chains holding him down. It was Lucifer warping his perceptions so that Castiel couldn't intervene.

"How is papa doing?" Lucifer asked as he walked over and bobbed down in front of Castiel. "Because I've just left daddy stranded in the middle of the sea."

"You have to go back for him" Castiel pleaded as his glare bore into Lucifer's eyes. "You promised me-"

"I know, don't sweat it, little brother. Uncle Luci's got it covered."

"You are nothing to my child" Castiel spat.

"Oh, I think that's a little unfair" Lucifer pouted. "I mean, Sam already killed his first niece. So on the uncle front I'm surely winning."

"Sam will love the child. He will take care of it and Dean as I cannot."

"Oh, I'll take good care of him" Lucifer replied. "It might actually be fun, having a little apprentice. Someone should probably watch hell whilst I'm on earth destroying it. Of course, he's half human so that will be a problem… Nah, I'm sure I can turn that half demon. Hey! A demon and angel hybrid...I don't think I've ever heard of one of those before."

Castiel growled in an almost feral way as he lunged forward, but was immediately pulled back by the chains. Lucifer stood up and laughed.

"You will not take my child!" Castiel roared. "You will not hurt Dean!"

"Oh, we'll see about that" Lucifer threatened. "But first I should consider getting uncle Sammy out the way. Don't you think?"

"No" Castiel breathed as he watched Lucifer walk away. "No!"

He couldn't just sit back and watch Sam die.

Castiel fought against the chains. He couldn't break them, but with a lot of strength and strained grunts he managed to fight far enough forward that he pushed Lucifer back and took control of his vessel again.

Sam was lying on the floor in front of him, breathing heavily as he tried to recover from nearly having his soul burned out of him.

With great struggle Castiel managed to kneel in front of him.

"Sam, it's me."

The younger Winchester looked beyond startled. "Cas? Why?!"

"I wanted to be of service to the fight. And only Lucifer can beat her."

"You chose this? You have to fight, Cas. Eject him now!"

"I can't. It's taking all my strength to keep him from killing you. Besides, we need him."

"No, Cas, we don't! We'll find another way to stop Amara."

"We need him to save Dean and the b-"

Castiel tried to get the word out, but Lucifer was regaining control and was pulling at his voice.

"Dean and the what?!" Sam asked with frantic confusion. "The Hand!?"

"No" Castiel wheezed through the pain. "Dean's carrying-"

But it was too late. Lucifer was already drawing him back in, and a Castiel was shrouded by darkness again.

/

Dean was struggling to comprehend the situation.

Castiel was gone, and stood before him was Lucifer. How could Castiel give up his vessel like that? Dean refused to believe it at all.

He struggled against the invisible binds that Lucifer had wrapped around him to pin him to the wall. He could see Sam discretely drawing a sigil with his blood.

"Why the faces, boys?" Lucifer mocked. "We have a common enemy. With this, she will be no problem. I mean...I will have killed you both by then, but still. Come on."

The archangel unwrapped the Hand from the cloth.

No..." Dean exhaled. It was their only chance of defeating Amara and saving Cas. "No!"

Lucifer closed his eyes, expecting a sudden surge of power, but when nothing happened he opened them again and frowned deeply.

"It's _kicked_ " the devil seethed.

"Well..." Dean exhaled deeply. "Who'd have thought the Hand of God would turn out to be a one-hitter?"

He knew as soon as the words had left his mouth that the last straw of Lucifer's fury had snapped.

He held his breath as the archangel stormed towards him.

Pain suddenly ripped through Dean's stomach and he flung his head back as he cried out.

An almost invisible wave of energy rippled from his middle and hit Lucifer, sending him flying across the room and away from Dean.

Sam had finally completed the sigil and he slapped his palm against it.

Lucifer screamed before he was consumed by light and disappeared.

Dean fell to his side, whimpering and grunting as he wrapped his arms around his stomach.

"Dean!" Sam called as he hurried to his brother's side. "What the hell was that?!"

"I don't know" Dean breathed as the pain finally started to ebb. Sam helped him sit up. "Maybe I absorbed some of the Hand's power in the explosion and it was escaping."

"Yeah..." Sam said looking at the rock like object which Lucifer hand thrown to the ground. "Maybe."

"Cas" Dean whimpered suddenly and Sam turned back to his older brother. He looked lost and had tearing collecting in the corners of his eyes. "Cas..."

Sam didn't know what to say, so he pulled his brother into gentle hug.

* * *

 **30 Weeks - Time**

Dean was unsure of the whole situation. They had tracked Amara to some woods disturbingly not far from the bunker. She wasn't exactly trying to hide anymore, though. She was obviously growing tired of games and was now simply drawing Dean towards her.

"It's just like any other hunt" Dean whispered to himself as he trudged behind Sam. "It's just another hunt."

Every rustle of the wind through some trees or crack of a twig made Dean jump, with his weapon raised. Sam made sure to stay close to his brother, concerned about how on edge he was.

"Dean, we can go back of you want. Maybe try to get through to Cas-"

"No, if Amara is here right now then we need to -, Ugh!"

The hunter dropped his weapon and wrapped his arms around his stomach.

"Dean?" Sam placed a hand on his brother's shoulder.

"I'm fine I-, Argh!"

The older Winchester fell to his knees.

"Dean!" Sam exclaimed with fear as he knelt down in front of his brother who had curled up on the ground. "What is it? What's wrong?!"

"Stomach...hurts" he seethed through gritted teeth. "God, it hurts so much." There were tears streaming down his face as he let out another cry of pain.

"Okay" Sam said, taking a deep breath; he knew he had to try and stay calm for his brother's sake. "Okay, let's get you up and-"

The younger Winchester froze and his eyes widened with shock. From the gleam of the moonlight he could see the blood which was beginning to pool in his brother's jeans.

"Oh my God-"

"S-Sam" Dean whimpered. "What's going on?" He let out another scream.

"I don't know" Sam replied honesty. "But don't worry, I-"

The thought hit Sam like a train. He knew about the night his brother and Cas spent together and everything that Dean has suffered over the past seven months. A joke he had almost made in passing now seemed like a confusing and nightmarish reality, but he also remembered what Castiel tried to tell him, about saving Dean and this mystery object he was carrying; he hadn't been referring to the Hand. He had been referring to the Invisible force which had saved Dean from within.

"How long have you been having these pains?"

"A few hours...but not this bad...just twinges...I thought it was just stress again."

Sam sighed and closed his eyes, wishing he had someone to pray to anymore.

"Dean" the younger Winchester said seriously as looked into his brother's eyes. "I think you're having a baby."

/

Castiel knew something had changed. He didn't know how or why, but he could just feel it.

Lucifer had tracked a source of energy which he assumed to be Amara to some woods and he had been skulking around for hours.

Castiel winced as somebody's pain filled cries tore through his head. He pulled at the chains as he tried to cover his ears, but it was no use.

The door suddenly opened and Lucifer almost skipped towards him.

"It's time!" He sung. "Your bundle of joy is on its way!"

"What?" Castiel breathed. Those screams...they belonged to Dean. "No, it's too early."

"Oh I think after all the strain and crap Dean's been through early labour was inevitable" Lucifer said. "They're here in the forest too you know? I can hear your precious ape crying clear as day" he beamed.

Castiel struggled against the chains.

"Please, you have to let me go to him."

Lucifer laughed manically. "Seriously?! You think I'm going to fall for that?" He gripped Castiel's hair and pulled his head back. "You're pleading with someone who doesn't have a heart or soul."

"Well then I think it's time that I sent you back to where you once came" Castiel seethed through gritted teeth.

"Aww, is papa getting anxious?" Lucifer mocked. "Does he feel _pathetic_ because he can't be there to protect his child?"

"I don't need you Lucifer because my family needs me more and I need them, my _real_ family, and we will overcome these obstacles together because that is what we do. We fight and we win. I was stupid to let you in, to think I wasn't needed. Dean and my child need me now more than ever, and I will not let you stand in my way!"

He gave an almost warrior like cry as he started to pull at the chains once more, and

there was more give than there ever had been before.

"No" Lucifer said as he looked down and realised that he was starting to glow. "No, no, no!"

"Get out, Lucifer!" Castiel roared. "Get out!"

His limbs were on fire but Castiel sagged forward with relief as the chains finally snapped.

He heard Lucifer scream and they were both consumed by light.

When Castiel opened his eyes he was laying on the ground, but he was in control of his vessel again and he couldn't sense Lucifer anywhere.

He didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the consolation of being able to feel the earth between his own fingertips again.

A pained cry suddenly ripped through the air and Castiel was immediately on his feet.

"Dean."

He tried to teleport closer to where he had heard the sound, but it appeared that Lucifer had drained his grace, leaving him now all but human.

So Castiel ran. He ran to make sure he would be there for the birth of his child.

/

"Sam, this isn't the time for stupid jokes!" Dean yelled. "I'm scared and I'm in a lot of pain" he added, sounding and looking a lot more vulnerable.

"I'm serious, Dean! Think about all your symptoms, and Cas, I'm sure that's what he was trying to tell me. I'm guessing he's the other father which would make the baby half-angel. I don't know a lot about angel conception but-"

"No" Dean said through gritted teeth. "Cas wouldn't knock me up and then just leave me, not even tell me...Dammit Sam I'm a guy!"

"Maybe that's not a problem when it comes to angels!" Sam exclaimed. "All I know is that right now you're in labour and you're bleeding-"

"Bleeding?!" Dean said his voice suddenly a lot higher than usual. "No, th-that means something's w-wrong with the...whatever it is!"

"When did you and Cas have sex?"

"N-nearly eight months ago."

"You're really early" Sam sighed.

"How could I have been fucking pregnant for all this time?! I know I put on a little weight but Jesus Christ!"

"We're working on the assumption that babies that are half angel are different, remember?"

Dean was about to respond but what he now knew to be another contraction tore through him. The hunter screamed and felt like he was being ripped apart.

"Get it out!" He yelled at his brother. "Get it the hell out!"

"I-I don't exactly know how" Sam replied as he ran a shaky hand through his hair.

"Sam!" A voice suddenly called from a group of nearby trees. "Dean!"

"Cas" Dean breathed.

"No, it might be Lucifer" Sam said, pulling out the angel blade he has brought with them, ready to protect his family at all costs.

Castiel's vessel soon emerged into the clearing, panting heavily as he made his way over to them.

"Sam, Dean, it's me" Castiel claimed. "I ejected Lucifer."

"How can we trust you?" Sam said with a glare as he pointed the blade at Castiel's chin.

"Because I wasn't going to let Lucifer get in the way of me being with Dean when he's giving birth to our child" Castiel replied seriously. "Because I love them and I wouldn't let Dean go through it alone."

"It's him, Sam" Dean said keeping one hand rested on his stomach as he used the other one to prop himself up. "I know it's him."

Sam still looked a little dubious but he lowered the weapon before going to kneel protectively at his brother's side.

"Dean" Castiel breathed as he dropped down in front of the hunter.

"I really want to kill you right now" Dean said, grimacing as he could feel another contraction coming on. "And then I'd make a deal to bring you back and kill you again!"

"That is a fair reaction" Castiel conceded.

"Why the hell didn't you tell me this could happen!? And if you knew then how could you leave us?!" He cried out from another contraction.

"Conceiving a Nephilim is so rare, and there have been none since my father disappeared. He was the one who controlled their conception, so I did not know it was possible anymore. As for leaving you I...I regret that decision more than any other I have made, but I thought I could protect you all...I was wrong, I can do a better job at your side, and will spend the rest of our lives trying to make it up to you."

"Can you use your powers to take some of the pain away?!" Sam asked worriedly as he took his brother's hand.

"I'm afraid Lucifer has consumed my grace. It will take me a whole recover."

"Oh well that's just fucking perfect!" Dean yelled sarcastically.

"Don't worry" Castiel said as he moved to sit behind Dean and wrapped his hands around the hunter's waist for support. "The child will know what to do. It has already been protecting you from within."

"But Cas, I-I'm bleeding" Dean whimpered, suddenly losing his bite and looking very afraid. "God, all these m-months I've been drinking a-and beaten up a-and…what if I've really h-hurt them?"

"Nephilims have their own protective shell of grace. They are strong. You did our child no harm. I promise."

Dean let out another cry of pain and gripped his brother's hand tightly and Castiel's which were rubbing his stomach gently.

A glow suddenly started to admit from his middle.

"It's time" Castiel whispered. "Not much longer, my love. You are doing extremely well."

"Don't let go" Dean whimpered as he feel back completely against Castiel's chest and buried his head in the angel's shoulder, squeezing his eyes shut.

"I won't" Castiel promised as he pressed a delicate kiss to Dean's glistening brow. "Not ever again."

And that was when Dean gave his biggest howl yet and he was consumed completely by light. Sam has to pull away but Castiel remained holding Dean the whole time.

When the light faded, a tiny being was resting on Dean's chest screaming it's little lungs out. Any blood that had escaped Dean had gone and his hurt had severely subsided - the baby has healed him.

Sam quickly shrugged off his jacket and scrambled to wrap the baby up in it before handing it to his brother.

"It's a boy" he said with a water smile.

"It's a boy?" Dean repeated with a weary smile as he looked down at the bundle. "Cas, we have a son!"

"Yes" Castiel grinned. "He's very beautiful" he said before pressing another kiss to the side of Dean's head.

Dean smiled as he tickled a finger across his son's cheek. It was all so surreal and hadn't quite hit him yet, but right now all he could do was fall more and more in love with his little boy.

"I hope I don't mess this up" the older Winchester worried.

"Dean, you're great with kids" Sam assured him. "Plus you practically raised me. And I'm...doing okay."

He shrugged when Dean shout him a look to say that wasn't very helpful.

"I'm the one who should be concerned with parenting" Castiel said.

"You literally fought off the devil to be with us, Cas" Dean pointed out. "You'll do fine."

There were a few moments of silence were the three men just admired the small bundle snoozing in his father's arms.

"Wh-what are we going to do with him?" Dean started to fret. "We don't have a crib, or food, or clothes-"

"We can worry about that later" Sam said as he smiled at the remarkable sight of his now slumbering nephew. "Right now let's get you out of here before Amara makes a surprise appearance."

"A wise decision" Castiel said.

He helped Dean to his feet - he was still a little shaky from the pain - and they started to trudge back to the impala.

"What are you going to call him?" Sam asked.

"I can't even think about that now" Dean said. "I'm so freakin' tired."

"We'll be home soon" Castiel assured him.

Castiel, Dean, and the baby all got into the back of the car as Sam got in the driver's seat.

Castiel sat against the window with the baby rested in the crook of his elbow, and Dean leaned against the angel's chest, his eyes closing as soon as they started to move.

"Dean, I want to say I'm sorry again for-"

"No now, Cas" Dean said quietly. "You were there when it counted, and you just wanted to protect us. So that's okay. Just...I just need to sleep."

"Okay" Castiel Conceded as he kissed Dean's head once more. "I love you. Both of you" he said stroking their son's fine hair.

"Love you too" Dean mumbled before he finally drifted to sleep.

Castiel didn't remember the last time he has felt so elated. He was surrounded by his family and he never wanted to leave them again.

Now, nothing could tear them apart.


End file.
